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2013–14 SHL season
Swedish Hockey League | sport = Ice hockey | duration = 14 September 2013 – 21 April 2014 | no_of_games = 55 (330 total) | no_of_teams = 12 | attendance = 1,974,388 | average_attendance = 5,983 | season = Regular season | season_champ_name = League Champion | season_champs = Skellefteå AIK | playoffs = Playoffs | playoffs_link = #Playoffs | finals = Finals | finals_link = #Finals: (1) Skellefteå AIK vs. (5) Färjestad BK | finals_champ = Skellefteå AIK (3rd title) | finals_runner-up = Färjestad BK | nextseason_year = 2014–15 | prevseason_year = 2012–13 | seasonslistnames = SHL }} The 2013–14 SHL season was the 39th season of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). The regular season began on 14 September 2013 and ended on 8 March 2014. The following playoffs began on 15 March 2014 and ended on 21 April 2014. It was the first season since the league changed name from Elitserien to Swedish Hockey League in June 2013. Skellefteå AIK defended their 2013 Swedish Championship title by defeating Färjestad BK four games to zero in the finals. Skellefteå AIK became the first team to defend the Swedish Championship title since Djurgårdens IF did so with their consecutive Swedish Championship titles in 2000 and 2001. Skellefteå AIK also became the first team since Brynäs IF in 1976–77 to win consecutive Swedish Championships by not losing a single game in both Finals series. A number of format changes were introduced this season. Instead of the top eight teams in the regular season qualifying for the playoffs and the teams ranked 9–10 ending their season, the top six teams qualified for the playoffs directly, and the four teams ranked 7–10 played a best-of-three series and battled for the two remaining playoff spots. The two teams ranked 11–12 still had to play in the Kvalserien round-robin tournament in order to requalify for the SHL. Also, the top three teams no longer got to pick their opponents in the quarterfinals; instead, the 1st-ranked team faced the lowest-ranked winner of the two best-of-three series, the 2nd-ranked team faced the other winner of the two best-of-three-series, the 3rd-ranked team faced the 6th-ranked team, and the 4th-ranked team faced the 5th-ranked team. In Kvalserien, Örebro HK requalified and Djurgårdens IF qualified for the 2014–15 SHL season at the expense of AIK. Summary This season's outdoor game was played on December 14, 2013, between Frölunda HC and Skellefteå AIK at Gamla Ullevi, Gothenburg. The game was won by Skellefteå 4–1 in front of 13,452 spectators. It was the second SHL outdoor game to be hosted in Gothenburg, Sweden's second largest city, as well as the second SHL outdoor game featuring Frölunda HC. Regular season } |- style="text-align:center; }|ÖHK|OHK background-color:#CCFFCC}}" | style="text-align:left;" | Örebro HKr''' || 55 || 13 || 25 || 5 || 12 || 119 || 160 || || '''61 |- style="text-align:center; }|AIK|AIK=background-color:#CCFFCC}}" | style="text-align:left;" | AIKr''' || 55 || 12 || 30 || 6 || 7 || 124 || 171 || || '''55 |} x''' – clinched playoff spot; '''y – clinched regular season league title; p''' – qualified for Play In; '''r – play in relegation series Playoffs This season, only the top six teams qualified directly for the playoffs. The four teams ranked 7–10 played a best-of-three series and battled for the two remaining playoff spots. Also, the top three teams no longer got to pick their opponents in the quarterfinals. Play In The teams ranked 7 and 10, and the teams ranked 8 and 9, respectively, faced each other in a best-of-three series in order to qualify for the playoffs. The better-ranked teams in the two series received home advantage, i.e. two home games, if necessary to determine a winner of the series. The two winners, HV71 and Linköpings HC, took the two remaining playoff spots. Playoff bracket In the first round, the top-ranked team faced the lowest-ranked winner of the two best-of-three series, the 2nd-ranked team faced the other winner of the two best-of-three series, the 3rd-ranked team faced the 6th-ranked team, and the 4th-ranked team faced the 5th-ranked team. In the second round, the highest remaining seed was matched against the lowest remaining seed. In each round the higher-seeded team was awarded home advantage. Each series was a best-of-seven series that followed an alternating home team format: the higher-seeded team played at home for games 1 and 3 (plus 5 and 7 if necessary), and the lower-seeded team was at home for games 2 and 4 (plus 6 if necessary). References 2013–14 Swe